Dewatering tool



C. A. LANG-STAFF DEWATERING TOOL Filed May 29, 1924 j 67' 6% Zara J 77' j Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES CLINTON A. LANGSTAFF, OF TAFT, CALIFORNIA.

V DEWATERING TOOL.

Application filed May 29, 1924. Serial No. 716,761.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CLINTON A. LANG- STAFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taft, in the county of Kern and State Tot California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dewatering Tools, of which the following is a specification.

Thisis a de-watering tool for oil. wells, and consists of the novel features herein shown, described and claimed.

An object is to make a tool which may be inserted into an oil well casing to any desired depth to combine with the oil well casing and lift the entire body of water at a single upstroke, there being an air vent to provide air to take the place of' the water below the tool.

Another object is to make a de-watering tool for insertlon into an oil well casing and having self-expanding packing to engage L the oil well casing, and operating as a plunger in the casing, the casing serving as a plunger barrel, so as to dewater a well at a single upstroke.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the drawings and specification.

The figure is a vertical diametrical sectional detail showing the construction of a de-watering tool embodying the principles of my invention in position for operation in a well casing.

The details of construction and operation shown in the drawing are as follows:

The section of well casing 1 may be at any point between the top of the well and the ottom of the well, and the well may be a mile deep. The drill stem 2 and. the tool joint 3 may be any of the usual constructions.

The main body 4 of the de-watering tool is tubular, cylindrical and of considerable length, and the central portion of the body 4 for a considerable length is provided with outstanding screw threads 5, and ports 6 are formed through the body above the screw threads 5. Reduced screw threads 7 are formed above the ports 6 at the extreme upper end of the body 4 to be screwed into the lower member of the tool joint 3. A web 8.

is welded into the upper end of the body 4 to form a diaphragm closing the top of the water chamber 9. The air vent pipe 10 is inserted through the web 8 and welded. A downflowing check valve 11 is mounted in the upper end of the air vent pipe 10. The

lower end 12 of the air vent pipe 10 extends laterally through the body 4 below the screw threads 5 and is welded, so as to make an air passage leading downwardly through the drill" stem 2, tool joint 3, and body 4. An upflowing check valve 13 is mounted in the lower end of the body 4 to close the lower end of the chamber 9 against downflow and allow upflow. I

A disc is screwed down upon the threads 5 to form the upper packing support 14. A

sleeve 15 fits around the threads 5 and rests.

upon the support 14. A packing 16 fits around the sleeve 15 upon the support 14 and has a chamber 17 in its upper part. A second disc is. screwed upon the threads 5- against the sleeve 15 and fitting easily against the packing 10 to form the upper packing cap 18 having ports 19 leading downwardly from the water chamber 20 to the packing chamber 17.

A second packing cap 21 is screwed upon the threads '5. A sleeve 22 fits 'upon the threads 5 below the cap'21. A packing 23 fits upon the sleeve 22 against the cap 21 and hasa chamber 24 communicating-with the ports 25 through the cap 21. A second packing support disc 26 is screwed upon the glreads .5 against the packing 23 and sleeve The portions 27 and 28 of the packings 16 and 23 are flexible and expansible under the load of water or fiuidwhich may be in the chamber 20 within the casing 1. The second packing construction, including the packing 23, is a reserve to come into use when the first packing construction is insufiicient to sustain the entire load. The tool may be made up withthe packings moving easily downwardly in the casing 1 and the sections of drill stem 2 will be applied as the tool goes downwardly until the tool has reached the desired depth and then the elevating mechanism of the well rig is operated to raise the drill stem, and the load of fluid in the chamber 20 above the packing will pass through the ports 19 and 25 and expand the packings, thus converting the well casing 1 mto a pump cylinder or barrel, and continued upward movement will lift the entire load of water or oil in the chamber 20 and air will pass downwardly through the drill stem to the chamber 29 below the packings, thereby breaking the suction efiect, and continued upward movement as fast as the sections of drill stem can be removed at the upper end will de-water the casing 1 at a single operation.

After a well casing has been set and cemented, it is desired to remove the water, oil and mud from the drill'casing to test the cement and see whether or not a shutoff has been effected. Heretofore it has been usual to bail the slush out of the casing one can at a time. With the de-watering tool it is pos sible to de-water the casing at a single operation. As the tool is lowered into the well, the contents of the well will pass through the check valve 13, through the chamber 9 and ports 6 to the chamber 20, and upon the reverse operation the check valve 13 will hold, and air will pass downwardly through the check valve 11 to take the place of the slush being elevated, so as not to produce any appreciable suction below the tool, as it is not desired at this time'to start the flow of oil.

Thus I have produced a de-watering tool for oil wells and adapted to remove the water, oil and mud from an oil well casing at a single upstroke, the tool comprising a tubular body adapted to be connected to a drill stem. the ends of the chamber in the tubular body being closed, there being lateral ports at the upper end of the chamber and an upflowing check valve at the lower end of the chamber, means forming a downflowing air vent throu h the chamber, and expansible packing mounted upon the tubular body and having an internal chamber -communicating with the de-watering load for expansion of the packing, the packing being adapted to engage an oil well casing so that the tool may be inserted downwardly into a casing full of slush. the slush pass ing upwardly through the check valve, and on upmovement of the tool the load will close the check valve and expand the packing, and continued upstroke will lift the load in the casing above the tool and allow air to replace the load lifted.

The use of the drill stem may be omitted, a suitable weight applied such as a kelly bar or jar, to cause the device to go down easily, and a flexible hose may be attached for furnishing the air, and a derrick cable attached for furnishing the power. Then the hose and cable may be wound up and down, thereby saving the power necessary to raise the drill stem and saving the trouble of putting on and taking off the sections of drill stem.

If the well is too deep and the load too heavy for the power available, the tool may be operated to take off the first thousand feet. more or less. and then the second thousand feet more or less and so on. In other words, the load may be divided into two or more parts, according to circumstances.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A deswatering tool for oil wells and adapted to remove the water, oil and mud from an oil well casing at a single upstroke, the tool comprising a tubular body adapted to be connected to a drill stem, the ends of the chamber in the tubular body being closed, there being lateral ports at the upper end of the chamber and an upflowing check valve at the lower end of the chamber, means forming a downflowing air vent through the chamber, and expansible packing mounted upon the tubular body and havlng an internal chamber communicating with the de-watering load for expansion of the packing, the packing being adapted to engage an oil well casing; so that the tool may be inserted downwardly into a casing full of slush, the slush passing upwardly through the check valve, and on upmovement of the tool the load will close the check valve and expand the packing, and continued upstroke will lift the load in the casing above the tool and allow air to replace the load lifted.

2. A de-watering tool for oil wells and adapted to remove the water, oil and mud from an oil well casing at a single upstroke,

the tool comprising a tubular body, the ends of the chamber in the tubular body being closed, there being lateral ports at the upper end of the chamber and an upflowing check valve at the lower end of the chamber, means forming a downflowing air vent through the chamber, and expansible packing mounted upon the tubular body and having an internal chamber communicating with the de-watering load for expansion of the packing-the packing being adapted to engage an oil well casing. means for lowering thetool into a well throuqhtheslush, means for providing air for the vent, and means for raising the tool and load; so that the tool may be inserted downwardly into a casing full ofslush, the slush passing upwardly through the check valve, and on upmovement of the tool the load will close the check valve and expand the packing, and 4 continued upstroke will lift the'load in the bular body and having internal chambers and on'upmovement of the tool the load will communicating with the de-watering load close the check valve and expand the pack I for expansion of the packings, the packings ing, and continued upstroke will lift the being one above another so that when the load in the casing above the tool and-allow upper packing fails thenext packing will air to replace the load lifted. supply the deficiency, the packings being 4:. In a de-watering tool, a body having adapted to engage an oil well casing. means packing adapted to engage a well casing,

' for lowering the tool into a well through means for lifting the body and packing, and

the slush, means for providing air for the means for maintaining a downflowing air vent, and means for raising the tool and passage through the body.

load so that the tool may be inserted down- In testimony whereof I have signed my wardly into a casing full of slush, the slush name to this specification.

passing upwardly through the check valve, CLINTON A. LANGS TAFF. 

